"We´re the Big Three. We don´t need to compete."

[wwgkd]

Yeah although the CTS is a good car they dont have enough other cars like it. The whole model line needs to be vehicles of that fit and finish.

Well, you have to give them a little time once they've finally gotten their butts in gear to make some changes. I think they were on the right track when the economic crisis hit.

[blingbling]

they have had a century to "get on the right track" and "gotten their butts in gear". most american cars and inferior to imports for the purpose of whic they were built

[togos452]

I'm sure the Panoz is very relevant to the US car industry...

It is designed, developed, and built in the U.S. It did win a 24 hour endurance race somewhere in France in 2006 with Pirelli tires so I'm not sure about that win.

[Rockefella]

What'll end up happening is people will purchase American cars in the near future, bearing in mind that the U.S. auto industry will fail if they don't. If that means purchasing an inferior car, so be it. Then again, I think GM, FoMoCo, and Chrysler/Cerberus are on the right track.

[wwgkd]

they have had a century to "get on the right track" and "gotten their butts in gear". most american cars and inferior to imports for the purpose of whic they were built

And for most of that century they outsold the imports. I realize it's fashionable to bash the big three these days, but keep some perspective.

Edit: Rocke, I'm not sure they will. That would require more foresight and selflessness than most people have. A lot of people are leary of buying big three cars right now because they're afraid they won't be able to get parts or that their warranties won't be honored.

[Kitdy]

It is designed, developed, and built in the U.S. It did win a 24 hour endurance race somewhere in France in 2006 with Pirelli tires so I'm not sure about that win.

You missed his point. The Panoz is next to inconsequential in the industry because it is a tiny tiny seller and the fact that it is good or bad has next to no relevance to the industry as a whole.

[ThisBlood147]

I find it readily amusing that so many ppl who bitch and complain about the future or non-future of the Detroit 3 are the same ppl who wouldn't own one of their products no matter how good they are. Personally, I don't know what's worse.......giving the 3 this money to get them out of a mess they got themselves into, or seeing any or all of them fold and witnessing the global economic fallout that will surely follow. No black and white solutions here.

FWIW, these 3 companies have been slowly but surely gaining ground on those competitors that leapt ahead of them in quality some years ago. But the stigma that American autos are all crap is exactly the kind of mindset that is continously leading ppl away from their products even while they are stepping up their game to get competitive again. You could see a day where a Ford is every bit as well put together as any other auto in its class, and there will still be a large vocal group proclaiming: it's a Ford/American car........it's trash. I guess repairing a reputation is alot harder than building a good car these days.

[NSXType-R]

I find it readily amusing that so many ppl who bitch and complain about the future or non-future of the Detroit 3 are the same ppl who wouldn't own one of their products no matter how good they are. Personally, I don't know what's worse.......giving the 3 this money to get them out of a mess they got themselves into, or seeing any or all of them fold and witnessing the global economic fallout that will surely follow. No black and white solutions here.

FWIW, these 3 companies have been slowly but surely gaining ground on those competitors that leapt ahead of them in quality some years ago. But the stigma that American autos are all crap is exactly the kind of mindset that is continously leading ppl away from their products even while they are stepping up their game to get competitive again. You could see a day where a Ford is every bit as well put together as any other auto in its class, and there will still be a large vocal group proclaiming: it's a Ford/American car........it's trash. I guess repairing a reputation is alot harder than building a good car these days.

Well yeah, obviously. For years nearly everyone has been saying that Ford/GM/Chrysler has bad products. It's no surprise. And yet they made quality products for every other market besides America. So it's not like they're incapable of making a capable car. It's that they just refused to do it. So it makes them all the less "help" worthy. And for what I care, I don't care if they fold. I do care about the jobs that are lost, however. So I don't mind if the automakers become government owned. Then the government can keep churning out their Hummers for however long they want.

[NSXType-R]

heh.
Angry Ford dealer in SC blasts imports in ads - Yahoo! News

Umm, did they forget that there are Toyota factories in North America?

Stupid hicks. So typical of them.

I wonder, is the Toyota Tundra available elsewhere?

[LeonOfTheDead]

What'll end up happening is people will purchase American cars in the near future, bearing in mind that the U.S. auto industry will fail if they don't. If that means purchasing an inferior car, so be it. Then again, I think GM, FoMoCo, and Chrysler/Cerberus are on the right track.

I guess that wouldn't save their asses in the long term future

Well yeah, obviously. For years nearly everyone has been saying that Ford/GM/Chrysler has bad products. It's no surprise. And yet they made quality products for every other market besides America. So it's not like they're incapable of making a capable car. It's that they just refused to do it. So it makes them all the less "help" worthy. And for what I care, I don't care if they fold. I do care about the jobs that are lost, however. So I don't mind if the automakers become government owned. Then the government can keep churning out their Hummers for however long they want.

they don't built quality products for other markets to be honest. Ford EU and Ford US are two different companies in the end, just as an example. obviously, they could take some cars from one side of the ocean to the other (now it's already late and the Fiesta heading for next year is not enough).

[henk4]

You missed his point. The Panoz is next to inconsequential in the industry because it is a tiny tiny seller and the fact that it is good or bad has next to no relevance to the industry as a whole.

on top of that the Panoz was run by a British team.

[henk4]

heh.
Angry Ford dealer in SC blasts imports in ads - Yahoo! News

I have just been warned to refrain form making sarcastic remarks about people from certain parts of the world....I have just bitten my tongue.

[NSXType-R]

they don't built quality products for other markets to be honest. Ford EU and Ford US are two different companies in the end, just as an example. obviously, they could take some cars from one side of the ocean to the other (now it's already late and the Fiesta heading for next year is not enough).

I guess, but at least they're slightly better than the ones in the market for the NA currently. From my limited knowledge, at least the Ford Focus isn't shit in Europe. It's actually a decent little car.

[henk4]

I guess, but at least they're slightly better than the ones in the market for the NA currently. From my limited knowledge, at least the Ford Focus isn't shit in Europe. It's actually a decent little car.

it's not little, it is midsized, and that's where ways already separate between the USA and Europe. (I have just been to Rome for a couple of days, and there a Focus is almost big....)

[Ferrer]

it's not little, it is midsized, and that's where ways already separate between the USA and Europe. (I have just been to Rome for a couple of days, and there a Focus is almost big....)

Without the almost I'd say.

And the Mondeo is massive.